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Neurofeedback is an older form of therapy with a newer name — it used to be called electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback. An EEG is a measurement of the brain’s electrical activity, or brain waves. The theory behind neurofeedback for ADHD is that kids with ADHD can learn to control their own brain waves and reduce their ADHD symptoms.

"Neurofeedback has been around since about 1972 when studies showed that biofeedback using an EEG machine could be used to help people regain some motor functions after a stroke or to help control migraine headaches,” explains William Shryer, DCSW, LCSW, clinical director of Diablo Behavioral Health in Danville, Calif. “The use of neurofeedback as ADHD treatment is more recent and has been controversial because of a lack of well-controlled studies."

Most of the studies that have been done on ADHD and neurofeedback have looked at treating kids with ADHD — ADHD may affect up to 8.7 percent of American children. "Children seem to respond better to neurofeedback," says J. Lawrence Thomas, PhD, a neuropsychologist on the faculty at NYU Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, both in New York City. "The process of neurofeedback is less of a barrier to children. They 'get it,' whereas adults are less receptive. Kids with ADHD do not have to be convinced that they can do it."

How Neurofeedback Treatment Works for ADHD

There are several types of brain wave activity that can be measured by an EEG machine while you are awake. Beta (fast) waves are seen when you’re concentrating and solving problems. Theta (slow) waves are seen when you’re drowsy or daydreaming.

Neurofeedback as ADHD treatment is based on the observation that adults or kids with ADHD have too many theta waves and not enough beta waves. By measuring brain waves and letting the patient with ADHD know when they change from beta to theta waves, that person may be able to learn to increase his beta activity and decrease his theta activity.

The feedback can be as simple as a sound that alerts you when you are having beta waves, or the feedback can be programmed into a video game. "Biofeedback and neurofeedback are promising because they train the person to control their own physiology. The person is trained to lower the slow waves and increase the fast waves in the frontal regions of the brain," says Thomas.

Pros and Cons of Neurofeedback for ADHD Treatment

The hesitation about neurofeedback for ADHD is due to a lack of good studies to support its use. That may be changing as more studies are being done to test neurofeedback in kids with ADHD.

Here are some pros:

Many parents do not want their children to take medication for ADHD. "Some parents who refuse medication on principle have been thrilled by the results of neurofeedback," notes Thomas.

Neurofeedback has the potential to allow a child or an adult to control his own physiology. "In the long run that can lead to reduced costs and better health," says Thomas.

Here are some cons:

"Even if there are some benefits, they are not lasting benefits and not significant when compared to the known benefits of medical treatment," says Shryer.

Neurofeedback can be very expensive and since it is considered complementary and alternative treatment, it may not be covered by insurance.

What Current Research Says About Neurofeedback for Kids With ADHD

A recent study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that children treated with neurofeedback did have a reduction in their ADHD symptoms when compared to a control group. They concluded that neurofeedback is effective, but that more research is needed.

The professional advisory board of Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) also states that neurofeedback is possibly effective, but needs more study.

The National Resource Center on ADHD concludes that, after reviewing all the available studies, there are still significant concerns about neurofeedback as a treatment for kids with ADHD. They state that there is enough evidence to continue studying neurofeedback, but not enough to support a conclusive statement that it is effective.

The jury may still be out on neurofeedback as ADHD treatment, but research is active and we may have more answers soon. If you have a child with ADHD or if you are an adult with ADHD and interested in neurofeedback, talk to your doctor. Neurofeedback is still considered a complementary and alternative ADHD treatment and must be weighed against other accepted treatments that have been shown to be effective.

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